120. Surrounded in Uden

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120. Surrounded in Uden

On September 22, 1944, when the vanguard of a battalion of U.S. paratroopers reaches Uden, German troops cut the road behind them. Consequently, these troops are surrounded that day in Uden. The battle for the advance route flares up at Duifhuis. This means the road to Arnhem is blocked for one whole day. Major supplies are seriously delayed. Operation Market Garden is threatened with failure. Two American comrades in arms are separated in the fighting.

On September 18 1944, one day after the massive air landings, a U.S. patrol reconnoitred Uden. They were the first liberators, but they disappeared back to Veghel. Finally, on Tuesday September 19, British ground forces appeared. An endless stream of military vehicles began moving through Uden towards Arnhem. Due to an expected German attack, an American battalion had the task of protecting Uden and the advance route, called the Corridor.

When on September 22, this battalion had passed the former rail crossing at Duifhuis, German troops cut off the road. Only the vanguard of the battalion reached Uden. The rest was halted by a German attack from Erp and stopped at Duifhuis. A fierce battle broke out.

After a day-long battle, the Americans and British succeeded in driving the Germans back. The route was open, but supplies for the troops in Nijmegen had been interrupted for a day. Operation Market Garden was running out of steam. The plan to keep a corridor open from Belgium to Arnhem, in order to attack Germany via this the road, was threatened with failure.